Death and the Maiden
by Abrus
Summary: Qetsiyah performs a spell using the blood of three doppelgangers in order to bring Bonnie back from the dead. Instead, Silas interferes by summoning Tatia and then causing a time-warp. In 1992, four identical girls are born in Mystic Falls. In 2009, destiny catches up to them all, forcing those who remember to relive past events...and those who don't to forge a new path.
1. Chapter 1

**September 22, 2011**

Amara stops and stares at the girls that share her face.

This, then, is what she had wrought? These two girls, so different and yet so alike, are her shadow selves. How strange. They could all have been sisters, in another life.

What of their souls? Hers is bound to Silas for all time. She's not certain how it happened. All she knows is that she is drawn to him as certainly as insects to honey. This time is strange; does anyone even understand that comparison here? Everything is rock and metal. There is almost nothing natural. Even the fire in the glass is controlled by the flick of a switch.

In all that time that had passed, Amara had observed the changing clothing of the souls that came to pass through her. How odd the world continued to be, to change and stay the same at once. How odd the three of them, to change and stay the same together through the centuries. These poor girls have been doomed to relive her mistakes. If she can help Elena, and be rid of her own cursed existence, she will do so.

Amara looks down at the strange book in front of her. It is very unlike the books of her own time. "What is that?"

"It's Bonnie's grimoire," Elena explains.

 _Grimoire._ The word is very foreign. Amara had come to understand many languages through the centuries of supernatural creatures passing through, but the specifics escape her. "Grim... _what_?"

The one called Katherine glances over at her in obvious irritation. "It's a magic spell book."

Amara pretends not to notice when Katherine mutters _idiot_ under her breath. Amara has suffered far too much in her far too-long life to particularly care about some petty insult. Still, it is disconcerting to be called stupid by one that essentially shares all her characteristics, presumably including intelligence.

When Qetsiyah cuts her hand it shocks her. She is not used to feeling her own pain.

The others banter back and forth when their turns come. Pain seems to be another inheritance among them. Her blood mixes with the blood of her other selves, writhing on the book. She watches as it forms a strange, seemingly ancient symbol.

Her eyes meet Katherine's, then Elena's. Amara avoids Qetsiyah's entirely as the woman chants. A breeze appears out of nowhere. This sort of magic makes her uncomfortable. Her own people had been witches as well, but none had been born for millennia before her own time as powerful as Silas and Qetsiyah.

Generally, when witches cast large spells, it means death, and therefore her own pain.

The young Bonnie appears next to Elena. Amara watches her; she is calm, collected.

Until no one is.

Windows begin to shatter; the strange fire in the glass above her sizzles out. Amara flinches, trying to fold in on herself, waiting for the pain.

"What's happening?" Elena demands.

"Silas is happening," Qetsiyah spits. It is the same tone she used to use when the fabric she wanted came from Egypt two weeks too late. "Show yourself, bastard!"

The lights go out entirely.

There is a sigh of exasperation somewhere in the dark. Her own voice calls out from across the room in irritation, "I can't see anything, can you?"

But Amara is not listening to her shadow self. Amara is being pulled from all directions and no direction. The wind is stronger now; she cannot tell if it is in her head or if it is pulling at everyone. Darkness stronger than the absence of light settles in around her. Memories fly through her head at random, places and people she will never see again because they existed two thousand years ago.

Amara hopes this is death. She closes her eyes.

Then she is gone.

* * *

Elena fights back the angry tears threatening to spill over. They had been so close to getting Bonnie back. Couldn't Silas have come ten minutes from now hell-bent on killing everyone?

Katherine is obviously frustrated with her own lack of nocturnal vision when she calls out, "I can't see anything, can you?"

"The electricity's out in the whole house", Damon announces as he enters. "What happened?"

Elena takes a deep breath. As long as Damon is here, she will be safe. "Silas is here."

She gives him a look, and in the span of a second they each say to the other _doesn't that just figure?_

"Well Silas owes me a new fuse box," Damon grumbles, but Elena sees the tension in his shoulders as he swivels the flashlight around.

Suddenly he stops. "Hang on," he says, making a point to shine the harsh light directly into Katherine's eyes, "I only see two doppelgangers. Where's Crazy Pants?"

Several possibilities flash through Elena's mind at once. What happens is not one of them.

Katherine gasps, clutching at her chest. Her hands move to her arms, her legs, and her hair. She cannot seem to speak; Elena watches as she seems to _compress_. Katherine fights it as hard as she can; she falls to the floor, fingernails scraping the wood.

"Is she finally stroking out?" Damon asks hopefully, but his eyes are disturbed.

Katherine gasps, and then disappears.

First Amara, then Katherine…

Elena rushes into Damon's arms.

"I'll take care of you," he swears. His arms are crushing her ribcage, holding her so tightly she barely notices when the strange pressure starts behind her eyes. There is something like wind, but her hair isn't lifting or flowing, so she knows it is only in her mind.

" _Damon_ ," she chokes.

She hopes her eyes convey what her voice cannot. She feels she is being pulled in all directions. What spell is this?

His blue eyes blaze, and as always she feels a chill of recognition in her very soul. "I'll find you," he promises.

Then she is _gone._

Damon yells out in anger and terror the second she leaves his arms. One moment she is there; the next she doesn't seem to exist. He can't sense her anywhere in the house.

" _Silas!_ " he screams.

There is manic laughter from all around him, laughter that sounds as though it belongs to his brother, but it does not.

Then there is something between a blast and a flash, and Damon is gone too.

* * *

 **October 31** **st** **, 1991**

"You've missed a cycle before, dear. Even doctors get false positives sometimes. I sincerely doubt that-"

"You don't understand," Miranda cut her husband off. "Something is different. I can feel it."

They had been trying and failing to conceive for some time now. In desperation, Miranda and Grayson Gilbert had turned to in-vitro fertilization treatments. She had been implanted with five eggs only twelve days ago.

Hope swelled within her. She knew, somehow, that something big had happened. She had awoken in the middle of the night with the strangest awareness of her body, her surroundings, and somehow of _time_ itself.

She knew her husband didn't want them getting their hopes up again only to be disappointed, but this was unlike anything she had felt before.

The jelly is cool when they place it on her stomach. Usually ultrasounds aren't done this early in the pregnancy, but in this case they need to see how many eggs are actually viable. Miranda begins to worry when the technician squints at the monitor, blinks, and squints again. A vague sort of fear settles inside her when the technician gets up, retrieves someone else, and sits back down.

The doctor looks from Miranda to Grayson, and slowly beings to grin. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert. At first we thought it was a fluke; this is extremely rare. You're going to be the proud parents of four identical babies."

Miranda closes her eyes against the happy tears and smiles as her husband falls to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

 **May 23, 2009**

Caroline blinks into the bright light. She's in her room, in her bed. The covers are soft and warm. When did she come back here? One moment, she was at the Boarding House, waiting on Bonnie to be revived by Qetsiyah, and now…

Had it worked? Had there been a magical backlash or something? This isn't the first time she's been knocked out unceremoniously only to wake up safe, courtesy of her friends.

"Honey?" The voice is her mom's tentative, soft whisper. It sounds like she's been crying. _Oh, no_. What had gone so horribly wrong?

Something is wrong with Caroline, too. It's taking too long for her eyes to adjust to the hall's light. "Mom?"

"Sweetheart, wake up. There's something you should know."

Caroline tries to sit up at vamp-speed; instead, the soft muscles in her stomach protest. Panic sizzles through her. Her heart beats faster. Blood rushes in her ears. She has a headache; it feels suspiciously like the early beginnings of a hangover, only vampires don't get those.

Liz sits on the edge of her daughter's bed.

It is then Caroline realizes that this bedspread is one she had over two years ago, back when she was still-

 _Human._

The word reverberates through her skull so loudly she almost doesn't catch what her mother is saying.

"Sweetie, there was an accident. Elena and her parents… well they skidded off the road. Off of Wickery Bridge. Elena will be fine, but her parents didn't make it, honey."

Caroline blinks in the still blinding light. _Human_. She is human, and her bedspread is old, and her mother is just now informing her of the deaths of Elena's parents.

" _What?!_ "

"I know. I know, it's awful." Liz nods. Just as Caroline remembers from years ago, her mother bows her head and starts to sob.

Caroline numbly takes her mother in her arms.

After she leaves, Caroline wracks her mind. It no longer has the speed or recall it did when she was a vampire. Staring at her ceiling in the dark, Caroline tries desperately to remember. When she does, she picks up the cell phone she had more than two years ago and dials a number she had nearly forgotten.

The phone rings three times.

The line connects, but no one says anything.

Finally, Caroline whispers, "Stefan? It's me, Caroline. _What the hell is going on?!_ "

Stefan sounds tired but strangely relieved on the other end. "Caroline. Thank God, you _remember_. Bonnie doesn't yet, and I haven't been able to get a hold of Damon-"

"Stefan, my mom just told me that Elena's parents _died._ Like, _tonight_."

Stephen pauses. "Yeah. About that. Welcome back to 2009, Caroline."

The line goes dead.

* * *

The next day, with her mother tending to the "distraught Gilbert children", Caroline drives to the Boarding House. She does not look in any mirror. She puts on her most nondescript clothing; had everything of hers always been so bright and flashy?

Stefan swings open the door. He's in a white t-shirt she doesn't remember, jeans, socks. He looks perfectly normal, just like himself. She throws herself into his arms.

She feels him sigh into her hair.

"Did you text Bonnie?" he asks.

She nods. "Yes. She said she'd be here. I'm assuming that means she remembers as well. God, Stephen, just yesterday she was _dead_ and now-"

"I know. We'll figure this out, Care."

She enters the Boarding House. Rugs that had been ruined lie on the floor. Vases and glasses that had been shattered are in place. She feels as though she's about to be sick. Damon comes down the stairs. He's wearing the sort of clothes he did when she met him, all leather and V-cut and clinging and old haircut. She stares.

He stops on the landing, looking back at her. Her human body betrays her fear; last time she had been human, he had taken advantage of her, abused her, _and fed_ on her.

She knows as he looks at her he can see her thoughts in her eyes.

He shakes his head, eyes pained.

She nods.

It is over. As a matter of fact, it will never happen.

She breathes a sigh of relief years in the making.

"There's Baby Brother, there's Blondie… Where's Teen Witch?"

The front door blasts open, so hard the hinges squeak. Bonnie strolls in, power emanating off of her. In their original timeline, she had been a fledgling witch at this point, barely believing in her own powers. Now she has knowledge and practice under her belt.

"What the ever living hell is going on? I woke up this morning as a living _sixteen year old._ My Grams cooked me _breakfast_ and sent me on my merry way." Bonnie's eyes shine with rage and grief.

"Right on time," Damon mutters.

Caroline's phone starts to ring before she can rejoice in her best friend being alive. She stares down at it. There, clearly labeled and shining, reads the name _Amara._

Her eyes widen. She shows the phone to the others. They shrug.

"Hello?" she asks into the speaker.

"Caroline? Hey, it's me." A voice that sounds like Elena's but is not Elena's filters in. The tiny speaker is deafening in the silent room.

"Hey. Um-" Caroline starts, unsure what to say.

"Listen, your mom told me to call you. She offered to let all of us stay for a little while until Aunt Jenna gets here, but we wanted to make sure it was alright with you."

 _Aunt Jenna?_ Damon mouths.

"Who is all of us?" Caroline asks, damning her strangled voice.

Amara hesitates. "Just, you know, all of us. Me, Tatia, Katerina, Elena, and Jer. But if you'd rather us not, I completely-"

Caroline's hyperactive brain overrides her spinning mind. The words are out before she can stop them, almost as though fate makes her say them. "No, of course I don't mind! I just wasn't sure if Jeremy wanted to stay with one of his friends instead or something. Of course. Whatever you guys need."

With a start, she realizes she said the same thing to Elena when this originally happened, and she had called from the hospital asking if she and Jeremy could stay with her and her mom.

"Thank you, Caroline. Seriously. Elena's not even out of the hospital yet, so-"

"Yeah, no. Just call me if you need anything."

There's a click, and then silence from the other end.

" _Amara?_ " Bonnie demands.

" _Tatia?_ " Stefan questions.

" _Katerina?!"_ " Damon growls.

" _Elena._ " Caroline breathes.

* * *

After several hours of witchy meditation, many nosebleeds, more hours of research in at least four different Grimoires, and one pizza break, Bonnie sighs wearily.

"Well," she says, "I know a couple of things for certain."

"Enlighten us," Damon shrugs, sounding as tired as Bonnie looks.

"Silas didn't cast this spell using his own power. Silas's power is mostly mind-focused. When I first woke up, I thought it was another of his stupid hallucinations, but it wasn't. It's all real. We really are in 2009; it's just that Silas didn't use his own power to take us here. He channeled someone else. Or maybe multiple someone's, because this type of power… it's on a cosmic level."

"Great," Damon snorts, "So now there's _maybe_ multiple someones, more powerful than him, that can alter all of time, space, and reality. Just great."

"Is there a way to fix this?" Stephen demands.

Bonnie hesitates. "Look, this is going to sound crazy, but… I think this _is_ the fix. Like, to an ancient problem that we were barely aware of. It's sort of like someone wrote a really long story, hated the ending, erased three quarters of it, saved the erasure, and then went back and started from that point again."

"What about the Fantastic Four?" Caroline asks. She had to admit, sometimes Damon's nicknames are catchy.

"Ah yes, the brand new and improved Gilbert quadruplets; Amara, Tatia, Katerina, and Elena." Bonnie nods. "They're entirely legit, I think. Instead of bringing me back, when they mixed their blood, they called Tatia forth. Then, when we all got time-warped, _they_ got warped even further back- all the way to the womb. They're actually sisters, as far as spellwork goes. They were all born together. And Stefan confirmed, the hospital records check out. There are even newspaper records from local publications about the four of them being born."

"But as far as we can tell, everything up until their birth happened exactly the way it did the first time. I still remember _Katherine,_ not _Katerina,_ the smiting bitch that tricked me into thinking she was locked in a tomb for a century and a half," Damon whines.

Bonnie nods. "Yes, that was her. Everything up until their new birth stayed exactly the same."

Suddenly there is a thick tension in the air. Caroline's migraine starts to dissipate in the face of adrenaline.

Stefan and Damon's eyes have met over the coffee table. Bonnie is glancing between everyone equally, obviously suddenly nervous. Damon's eyes are alight. Caroline remembers what this means; her heart beats faster.

Stupid human habits.

"This means we can change… _everything,"_ he gasps.

Everyone can see it; Damon sees a chance to be with Elena from the beginning, to avoid all the pain and strife. Caroline glances at Stefan and is entirely shocked to see he's not completely opposed.

At least not at first glance. There is pain in his eyes, to be sure, but resignation in his shoulders. They all know that he is not the one she chooses, in the end.

Bonnie butts in hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Damon, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate."

Damon doesn't take his eyes from his brother's when he grits out, " _Elaborate_ , Sabrina."

"This was a spell affecting not only the present, but _destiny_. All of this is meant to play out to its natural conclusion; that is, back to our original time. So until we reach September 22, 2011, certain things are probably _bound_ to happen; think of them as catalysts."

"But..?" Damon prompts, sensing its existence.

Bonnie sighs. "But, there is also probably a wide margin of discretion."

Damon's eyes alight in victory.

"Do not hurt her, brother," Stefan warns seriously.

"Never again," Damon vows.

Caroline sits, and Caroline wonders, and she tries very hard not to despair at the thought that she may never be turned again.

* * *

"Could you two be any more like Edward Cullen?" Caroline snaps.

From the trees across from her home, she hears a ghostly chuckle.

Honestly; _Salvatores_.

Her mother had called her and told her to prepare the guest room. The girls would be staying in it while Jeremy takes the couch. Caroline's old obsessive human brain had kicked in, and she'd made welcome bags for all of the girls, complete with their names written on fancy little tags.

She watches as the girls file out of the police-issued SUV.

First comes Amara; her wavy hair falls down her back, clipped back to keep it out of her eyes. She doesn't seem nearly as crazy in this life; in fact she seems to cling to control. It's in the way she moves, first out of the vehicle, eyes scanning the driveway and the house. She offers Caroline a small wave. Then she turns to help her sisters out.

Katherine – no, _Katerina_ \- comes next. Caroline would recognize those curls anywhere. But instead of the wicked smile and the heels she had been expecting, Caroline sees only a tearstained face, a wrinkled sundress. It is so disconcerting that Caroline almost misses the next sister; Tatia steps out in yoga pants, wild hair of frizzy, crinkled curls piled on top of her head in a mess of braids and bun. She turns with Amara to help out Elena.

Elena's hair is pin-straight, as Caroline knew it would be. Her eyes are dead and her shoulders droop. She's still wearing a hospital bracelet.

Jeremy has long since jumped out of the passenger seat, brushing past Caroline into the cool confines of her house. Already, he smells strongly of pot. No one comments.

"Hey… everybody," Caroline greets weakly.

She observes the varying responses carefully; Amara smiles thinly at her. Tatia nods. Katerina-not-Katherine, surprisingly, steps into Caroline's space and then into her arms. Her head rests against Caroline's shoulder for a moment. She is so surprised she almost misses the hug entirely.

The three step past her, leaving Elena to be guided by Caroline's mother.

Originally, Elena had clung to her, sobbing all the while. This Elena does not; instead, she lifts her head, tears falling silently, and disappears after her sisters.

Caroline lets out a shaky breath, mustering a confident smile for her mother. She glances once at the brothers hidden across the street, no doubt in shock from seeing all the doppelgangers together at once.

Then she closes the door and starts reliving.


	2. Chapter 2

**September 7, 2009**

" _Amara!_ "

" _Tatia!_ "

" _Katerina!_ "

" _Elena!_ "

Jenna's voice echoes off the stairs. Elena groans. Next to her, Kat does the same. Of the four, they're the least likely to get out of bed on demand.

Amara has always been an early riser and particularly productive. She can awake at a moment's notice, ready to answer every call. It is a talent Elena envies her sister for.

Elena knows the next will come any second, after Jenna realizes the pancakes are burning after her trip to the bottom of the stairs. Right on time, Elena hears the curses, smells the burnt pancakes, and hears Jenna's exasperated sigh.

" _Jeremy! Jere! This means you too!_ "

Yep. There it is.

Elena blinks her eyes open and meets Katerina's scowl. Her sister's eyes are still closed, her tank top and boy shorts messily twisted. Elena smiles. "Come on, Kat, or there will be nothing but burnt bacon left."

"Whatever. I'll have a banana."

"Those went bad last week."

"Of course they did," Kat hisses, rolling over to escape the morning sun.

Elena rolls onto her back. Next to her, Tatia is sitting on the edge of the bed, already raking a brush through her unruly hair. It is part tiny curls, part frizz, and part wild wave. Everyone but Tatia loves it.

"Seriously? Jenna is waking us up way too late. It takes me at least an hour to tame this beast," Tatia scowls.

"Well _I_ think she's waking us way too _early_ ," Kat growls.

"And _I_ think we're _all_ going to be late if you all don't leave that bed. That means you too, Elena," Amara says, her voice becoming softer when she says her sister's name.

Elena internally winces. It's bad enough that everyone is still walking on eggshells around her nearly four months later. She doesn't need her fellow quadruplets doing it too. It is better than blaming her for their parents' deaths, however, and it is this nasty little thought that spurs Elena up and out of bed. At least they're still kind enough, close enough, to pile into her bed when she has the nightmares.

* * *

Amara stares after her with suspicious eyes when she sees Bonnie's car in the driveway.

"It's fine," Elena says defensively. "I've just missed my friends, that's all."

She watches as the rest of her siblings, including the sulking Jeremy, pile in Amara's car. Bonnie, noticing how tense Elena is, puts it into reverse and pulls out first. Elena had panic attacks all summer; at first she had avoided vehicles at all costs. Then she had let Sherriff Forbes and only Sherriff Forbes drive her around when necessary; and finally she had allowed her friends to do so. As far as Bonnie knew, Elena had only started driving herself last week. She still refuses to drive with family members.

She also refuses to follow behind them, terrified of watching them crash.

Bonnie sneaks glances at this young, arguably weaker version of Elena. Lord, she looks so small sitting there in the passenger seat. Had they really been _this_ young back in 2009? Bonnie still has trouble looking in mirrors. Caroline does as well.

One day, Silas will pay for this.

But Bonnie can't let herself think about that now.

They had tried all summer, Stefan, Damon, Caroline, and she to reverse this or alter it. As far as she could tell, something much larger was at play. All of modern history had been altered with the disappearance of Amara, Tatia, and Katherine-

 _No_ , Bonnie reminds herself, _Katerina._

She remembers this day in explicit detail, because the last time around she had played it over and over in her head. The day of The Accident was when everything changed, but it didn't have lasting effects until _this_ day; the first day of junior year.

Jesus, Bonnie is really dreading completing half of high school all over again.

Bonnie avoids the bird that comes flying out of nowhere this time. No need to traumatize Elena any further. She tries very hard to ignore the purple fringe on her outfit as they walk into the school. It is easier said than done. Is this really what teenage-her had deemed cute enough for the first day?

"Elena, hey," Caroline greets. This time she does not ramble awkwardly.

"Hey, Care," Elena mumbles. She ignores the questioning eyes of her sisters as they file into the hallway.

"Have you seen the new guy yet?" Caroline asks. For a moment Elena imagines she senses something tense under Caroline's tone, but when she looks at Caroline she's smiling. Elena shrugs the strange feeling off.

"Nope," Elena says, shrugging carelessly.

Bonnie watches as she heads off to class.

"Here we go," Caroline whispers.

Down the hallway, after leaving the office, Stefan finds their gazes and nods.

* * *

"You have to go to the party," Katerina starts on her as soon as she walks through the door.

"Hi Kat," Elena greets. "I'm fine, you? Have a nice first day back at school? I did, thanks for asking. What's for dinner?"

"Jenna is ordering pizza, _again_. That's not the point. The Back to School Bash is tonight and you _have_ to come. Please, please, please?"

Elena smirks at her. "With sprinkles on top?"

"Come _on,_ Elena. I bet that cute guy from history will be there. He was staring at you, you know," Katerina grins.

Elena puts up her shoes, then her bag, then her jacket. She puts them away neatly; Katerina has left hers piled haphazardly on the foyer's bench again. Tatia's is missing, as she's already running on the school's track, practicing for the start of her season. Amara's is missing as well, as Elena knows she's probably already reviewing notes in the school library with her study group.

Everything is still the same, and yet nothing is. She sighs.

"Fine, Kat, I'll go. Not for the cute guy, though; and he was staring at _all_ of us. He's probably just never seen identical quadruplets before. Most people haven't."

Elena thinks, almost against her will, of pale skin, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. She shoves the thought away violently; that memory was from _that night_. She'd been halfway to tipsy as it was. That man probably didn't even exist.

Kat squeals, rushing around the kitchen island to hug her. When Elena smiles back at her, it's almost like a grimace. "Master manipulator," she mutters begrudgingly.

Katerina smiles charmingly, arms still wrapped around her sister. "Always have been, always will be."

* * *

Elena is writing in her diary when the fog rolls in.

She had spent months afraid to drive. Usually, when she bothers to at all, she comes here to her parents' graves.

It's supposed to be a quiet, peaceful place. Typically it is, if she can push aside her grief long enough to enjoy the silence. With four siblings and a haphazard aunt in her house, quiet is a luxury. With the added stress of a new school year, she had needed this retreat.

The fog spreads over her legs, covers her journal. Her writing disappears beneath the film. A crow lands on a tombstone. She could have sworn that Bonnie almost hit one just like it this morning.

When the crow doesn't shoo, and the fog still rolls, Elena runs.

She has felt eyes on her for months. At first she thought it was leftover trauma from the accident, but now she's not sure. She dreams of blue eyes that turn black, ravens flying through a stormy sky, and someone promising to find her.

Has someone found her? Someone cruel, or wicked, or evil?

She isn't sure. She loses concentration, loses footing. She crashes to the ground.

Stefan Salvatore helps her to her feet.

* * *

Stefan tries to pick out her voice through the crowd.

He finds Amara's, then Tatia's. God, they all sound so similar, but there's something about the lilt in hers-

No, that's Katerina.

 _There._ She's joking with Bonnie about psychic powers.

Stefan's mouth twists. How long are they supposed to keep up this ruse? What if the girls never get their memories back?

He shakes his head. He can't think about that now.

The night plays out just as he remembers it. It will remain with him always, pristine, black and golden in the back of his mind. He is thankful for the chance to relive it.

Tomorrow, she will belong to his brother.

When Vicki Donovan is attacked, he flees.

* * *

"It was a vampire," Vicki gasps from her hospital bed.

Matt Donovan frowns.

* * *

Damon raises his hands. "I swear, it wasn't me."

Caroline rolls her eyes.

Bonnie chugs down more coffee.

* * *

Damon tries desperately to remember what he was wearing the first time he officially met Elena. A black t-shirt? Jeans? _Black jeans_?

He snarls, accidentally ripping a shirt in his irritation. He's glad Stefan is out hunting woodland creatures, otherwise he'd be getting ribbed right now. Damon groans, and then settles on some black variation of clothing.

Then he goes downstairs, pretends his hand isn't shaking as he unlatches the front door, and he waits in the shadows.

Soon enough, he hears her vehicle pulling in. It moves slowly, hesitantly. He can hear her exhale as she puts it in park. Her fear of driving still nags away at her, apparently.

The bell rings. He snickers. And then her knocks open the door.

He watches her look around his home, _their_ home. She had practically lived with him here; her mail had been sent here. Watching her this time, knowing what is to come, is fascinating. His crow, ever faithful, comes flying in behind her. She is already flinching away from its wings when he decides he cannot stand it anymore and flashes next to her. She whirls, her face dangerously close to his. All he can see is her dark eyes, widening in surprise.

Then the unexpected happens.

There is not only surprise in her eyes, but _recognition._

"Damon," she gasps.

His brain shorts out. _Shit. Fuck! What?!_

Damon thinks hard about how she might already know him. What had happened? He had been so careful, skulking about Mystic Falls, not revealing himself to anyone but those whose memories were intact.

And then he remembers.

" _You want a love that consumes you…"_

After the flash, and Silas's time warp spell, he had awoken to find himself lying in the middle of the road. He had assumed that his mind had retreated somewhere safe, to a beautiful memory, while he was unconscious and being held captive by his brother's doppelganger. So he had changed nothing about that night, except-

Damon's dead heart stops and restarts. _Except I didn't compel her to forget meeting me._

" _What do_ you _want?" she had asked, so teasing, so warm and lovely._

 _The car had honked. Her parents had pulled up._

 _Damon had flashed away._

Damon falters for a moment, takes a shivering breath, and restarts. "Hello again, Elena."

"What are you doing here? Where's Stefan? I thought this was his house."

"It is his house. It is also mine. We're brothers."

"He didn't tell me he had a brother."

Damon smiles. Some things just don't change. "He's not one to brag. Come in. I'm sure Stefan will be along any minute." He gestures for her to follow him. His arm snakes out, brushing against her shoulders.

She's looking around again, smiling. "Wow. So the mysterious man with all the answers lives in the Haunted Mansion. How suiting."

Damon is reveling in this. This is how things should have happened for them. Easy, natural, no compulsion or angst. "Eh, I keep telling Zach to stop buying things at auctions."

"Zach?"

"Our uncle."

"Oh. Is he here?"

"Gone on a weekend trip." Damon shrugs, which is true. Zach had been spending less and less time at the Boarding House since he and Stefan had returned.

"This place _is_ a weekend trip," Elena teases.

He's about to answer when Stefan interrupts from behind them.

"Elena."

Elena whirls and smiles. "Stefan! I should have called, I just-"

"Don't be silly," Damon interrupts smoothly. "You're welcome anytime."

Elena and Stefan exchange a few words about a book he leant her at school. Elena smiles at Damon before she leaves, waving goodbye.

As Elena climbs inside her car, she pauses after starting the ignition.

She sighs, leaning back and closing her eyes. That wonderful, magical memory, the last good one she had before the tragedy of her parents' lives ending, was real. It wasn't a lake-water-induced dream, or a hospital-bed-imagining.

She plays the whole meeting over in her head.

" _You want a love that consumes you…"_

She sees the blue of his eyes in the sky as she drives away.

Something nags at her though; there's something she just can't place. If Damon is real, his beautiful eyes and smile, then what about the voice in her dreams, that sounded so similar to his, only gruffer, full of love and longing?

" _I'll find you."_

She doesn't have an answer.

* * *

"It's the third day of school and he's skipped six of his classes."

Jenna leans forward, trying very hard to appear professional. "Mr. Tanner, I hardly find that accurate. Six, are you certain?"

Katerina and Tatia hover outside the doorway, ears pressed against the wood, trying to appear nonchalant as lingering students meander out of the school.

"I'm certain."

"Mr. Tanner, are you aware that Jeremy's parents died?"

"Four months ago. A terrible tragedy to be sure; Wickery Bridge if I remember correctly." Their teacher's voice is monotone, uncaring. Through the glass in the door, they can see Jenna's eyes widen in offense.

"Yes, it _was_ terrible," Jenna's voice is sharper now. She glances toward the door; she knows the girls are listening in even though she told them not to three times.

"Jeremy is in some sort of testosterone-fueled pissing contest with Tyler Lockwood outside," Amara mumbles, sidling up to them and pressing her ear to the door as well.

"Tyler Lockwood is in a testosterone-fueled pissing contest with everyone," Katerina snorts quietly.

"It won't help his case if he fights him while Jenna is in here at a guardian-teacher conference three days into school," Amara bites her lower lip worriedly.

" _Shhh_!" Tatia hushes them.

"You're related to the family how? Mother's kid sister?"

Jenna's eyebrows raise. Tatia huffs, irritated. " _Younger_ sister. Besides, six classes? Are you _sure_? That sounds hard to do."

"Not when you're on drugs."

The girls freeze. Inside, Jenna freezes. Katerina scowls. Tatia grabs Amara's hand, pinching her skin underneath her nails.

"The signs are there, Ms. Sommers; moodiness, avoiding eye contact, _constantly_ pulling snacks out of his backpack, I mean _honestly_. It's his way of coping. Are there any other relatives in the picture?"

"I'm their sole guardian."

"Uh huh. Could there be?"

Jenna looks almost ready to concede when she glances at the girls. She can see three brunette heads, the same eyes repeated; one set angry, one set ashamed, one set teary.

Jenna leaps to her feet, crossing the desk to place herself squarely in front of Mr. Tanner. "Excuse me, but I have had quite enough of your nasty implications. I'll have you know that for someone who lost both parents at a critical age roughly _one hundred days ago_ , Jeremy's transition has been rocky, yes, but quite impressive otherwise. He has not broken any major laws, he has not hurt anyone -not even himself really-, he still helps around the house; can you imagine that it would be easy to come back to school with all of your old friends asking about your dead parents? Of course it wouldn't. Also, don't _mansplain_ to me about coping strategies. I'll have you know that I have a degree in Psychology, and as soon as things are settled at home, I plan to go back for my Masters and maybe even a doctorate. If you ever plan on being anything other than a mediocre history teacher with a vendetta against grieving fifteen year olds, you might work for me someday! I thank you for coming to me with your concerns about Jeremy; they are valid and I do not condone his skipping classes. I assure you that if he does not straighten up, we will discuss _privately as a family_ further options for his healing."

With that, Jenna storms for the door. The girls dodge out of the way as she swings it open, making sure to move to the side so Mr. Tanner doesn't see them.

Jenna opens her arms. They fall into a group hug, teary-eyed all around. Katerina starts applauding.

"I am _so not_ cooking dinner tonight too," Jenna moans.

"Chinese, not pizza," Tatia says quickly.

* * *

"I like this one for Amara," Caroline says, holding up a star shaped locket.

Bonnie shakes her head. "Too obvious. If she opens it and finds some weird plant inside, she'll either throw it away or demand explanations."

Bonnie and Caroline had made a break for the mall after school. What with Vicki being attacked by an unknown vampire, vervain protection sooner rather than later is probably a good idea.

Damon spots them and strolls over. Bonnie nods at him; Caroline, trying to keep the weird new peace between them, waves a bit.

"Find anything decent?" he asks. Caroline can already see the judgement in his eyes as he looks around the mediocre retail center.

"Well, we're not all millionaires," Caroline mutters.

He studies them for a moment, then shrugs. "Come on. I know a good jeweler. You can pick out the designs, and I'll buy them. These things are gonna need to last awhile."

Bonnie hesitates, but Caroline is about to agree when Damon preemptively cuts her off.

"Except Elena's."

They try and fail to hide their smirks.

* * *

"Elena has decided to be my friend, I think," Stefan says when he's home from hunting after school; he sounds pleased. "She talks a lot about her sisters; Amara studies all the time, Tatia runs track, and Katerina is apparently in drama club."

"Shocker," Damon mutters, trying very hard not to listen to the wistful note in Stefan's voice.

Stefan watches Damon's face darken. "She's invited me over for dinner. Her aunt ordered too much Chinese food again. Would you want to come?"

The tension in Damon's shoulders falls away.

* * *

"We come bearing presents!" Caroline swings the unlocked door open and calls in the general direction of the ruckus coming from the Gilbert kitchen.

"And two-liters!" Bonnie adds, glancing nervously at the packages in Damon's hands. Will the girls wear them? Will they like them at all? Is the amount of vervain inside them enough?

"And two extra, very charming dinner guests," Damon calls into the confines of the house. The chattering goes quiet, and then there's a chorus of identical giggles. It would be creepy if they weren't all friends.

Stefan rolls his eyes, unamused with Damon's antics when technically they're still stuck on the porch.

"In here everyone," Jenna finally calls. "Come on in!"

Damon breathes a sigh of relief when he's finally permitted to cross one of the final barriers keeping him from Elena.

The four sisters are crowded around the containers of Chinese food, each scooping out helpings of each item and dumping them onto plates, passing them around assembly-line style to each of their guests. Jenna is busying herself with pouring drinks- both soda and wine. Jeremy slumps on the living room couch, ignoring the food entirely in favor of video games.

Damon's eyes drink Elena in. She still carries that aura of black grief that she hadn't ever entirely gotten rid of in their original time; it's heavier in this early place, weighing her down. He doesn't like it. Still, her eyes sparkle when Tatia throws a noodle at her, laughing. She tosses back a pinch of fried rice.

Damon beats Jeremy in a round of _Call of Duty_. They finish dinner, talking about school, work, and more school, gossip concerning people Damon either doesn't remember or care enough about. He tries to drink it all in. He knows these days are the calm before the storm.

"What presents were you talking about, Caroline?" Katerina finally asks. It's still shocking to him, to casually eat cheap Chinese food with her, off paper plates in a living room she wouldn't have been caught undead in this time last year (unless she was impersonating Elena). She's so _human_ , soft, fragile, and kind of sweet in a weird, unsettling way.

Jenna butts in, right on cue, with the obligatory guardian-esqe, "You didn't have to get anyone anything!"

"No, no," Caroline rushes, her cheeks flushing as she falters on her old human insecurities. "We wanted to. It's the start of _junior year_ , and the Founders Day party is like, _next week_ , and besides, after everything you all have been through in the last few months, we just thought-"

Damon interrupts her before she gives herself permanent brain damage from a lack of air. "The jeweler I frequent was having a sale."

His smile sits tight in his face. He doesn't want to have to compel them all to wear the vervain jewelry at all times, but he'll do what he must. He always does.

"You frequent a jeweler, huh? More mysteries from the mystery man," Elena smiles. It's a secret smile, it's _his_ smile. It makes his gut and heart clench at the same time.

"Or he pisses off a lot of women," Katerina snickers.

Damon hates the paling of Elena's face, the way her eyes skitter to his and then to the floor; she hadn't considered that option.

"Kat!" Jenna rebukes.

Katerina shrugs, reaching for the fancy box Caroline had labelled as hers. It sits innocuously enough on the coffee table. Hesitantly, the girls all reach for theirs, Bonnie and Caroline included. Jenna seems startled to find boxes with her and Jeremy's names, as well.

"This is really too much," she says, glancing between the brothers with concern and suspicion.

"Caroline did all the grunt work," Stephen interjects quickly. "She designed it and everything."

"Oh, my god," Amara gasps, managing to open hers first, widening her eyes and turning her necklace to refract the light spilling through the window. "No _way!_ "

From the end of one of the thinnest silver chains Amara's ever seen dangles a butterfly; the chain loops beneath its body, three lapis lazuli stones connected. Silver wings spread out from it, thin and transparent, the ends glimmering with a dusting of diamonds faded from the startling blue that coats the center of the wings. The butterfly rests on a delicate gold stem with silver leaves, wrapped in a decorative, thick silver chain.

"These can't be real. Please tell me they're not real," Amara gasps, hesitantly reaching for the butterfly, terrified the wings will crumble to dust in her hands. Instead she finds them surprisingly sturdy, and sharp like steel.

"There was a really, really good sale," Caroline mumbles weakly, glancing at Bonnie for reassurance.

Katerina is the next to open hers, practically ripping the lid off in her haste. She goes entirely still.

"Kat?" Jenna prompts.

Wordlessly, mouth opened in surprise, Katerina lifts her own necklace. A silver and diamond leopard rests on a sphere of lapis, its spots made of the same. Its tail curls around to the bottom; its gold eyes peer at the world as it supports itself on its forelegs, alert and smooth and sultry all at once. Pearls and silver spheres line the necklace chain.

Surprising almost everyone, Kat bursts into tears.

"I remember you mentioning finding something similar," Bonnie offers quietly. "Ages ago, remember? When we were super young. You loved this big book your mother got you, filled with the Crown jewels of several monarchies. The Duchess of Windsor's jewels were always your favorite, because they were made to look like-"

"Cats," Katerina squeaks. "Leopards, from Cartier. That's when I asked Mom to tell everyone to start calling me Kat for short."

Bonnie nods, eyes soft.

That had been one of the strangest things about this time; as their bodies and minds had adjusted to this new timeline, memories of their lives here had started filling their dreams. Bonnie and Caroline had spent hours on their phones at night, trying to figure out the bizarre sense of closeness they felt for all the Gilbert girls, not just Elena.

"I don't deserve _all_ the credit," Caroline waves her hand imperiously.

Nervous laughter filters through the room. Even Jeremy has stopped sulking for long enough to stare wide-eyed at his sisters' gifts and then down in trepidation at his own.

"My turn," Tatia proclaims; she waits for Jenna to nod before opening her box.

She pulls out a silver skeleton key necklace; at the top rests a lapis lazuli stone carved into the shape of a rose. Next to it, connected by thick silver chain, is an unpolished lapis stone, and the image of a clock. Upon closer inspection, Tatia realizes the tiny hands are pointed to the exact time she and her sisters had started to be born. The thick decorative chain winds its way down the body of the key, intertwined with a golden vine, complete with silver leaves.

"Hey!" she gasps.

She grabs Amara's wrist, leaning over and practically pulling her out of her chair. She lays their necklaces flat on the table, then pushes them together. Where Amara's vine leaves off, hers picks up, snaking around her key.

"Whoa! Cool!" Amara grins.

Katerina tries to find a place to link hers, but cannot. She pouts and looks up at Bonnie and Caroline in irritation.

"Wait, silly," Caroline snickers.

"You go, Jenna," Elena says too quickly. Damon tries not to swear out loud. He's tired of watching the other girls' eyes light up when Elena's could power all of Mystic Falls.

Jenna shrugs, still glancing uncertainly at the Salvatores and Caroline and Bonnie. The girls make shooing motions with their hands, so she uncovers her own box.

Everyone in the room startles when Jenna makes a strange choking sound, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"What is it?" Amara demands.

Jenna lifts, with trembling fingers, an angel.

The gold angel rests on a spread of silver leaves. Around them is a heart-shaped frame of gold, complete with inlaid diamonds. The angel's wings are transparent like Amara's butterfly's, almost looking like blue stained glass. From the pointed end of the angel's skirt dangles a lapis lazuli stone. Two more lie above in the curves of the heart. Thick decorative silver chain on either side binds the whole pendant to yet another lapis stone, which holds it all together to the thin silver necklace.

Without a word, Jenna places her necklace with Tatia's and Amara's. The vines on each connect to her leaves, and the chains match those wrapped around Tatia's key and Amara's branch. Spotting her place with a triumphant little gasp, Katerina places her leopard underneath the dangling lapis and heart, in the middle, in the empty circle created for her lapis sphere by the outlines of all the necklaces. The sphere rests on the twined chain and stem.

"I guess that leaves me with…" Jeremy mutters, opening his box to reveal a thick silver chain that perfectly matches the accents on the girls' necklaces. He places his in a ring, surrounding the others.

Elena drops her box, realizing with a strange sense of dread that she is next. She hates all these eyes on her. She bends automatically to pick it up, but Damon beats her to it. His fingers are warm, burning up even, when they skirt hers with the box. She feels as though she's drowning when her eyes meet his.

"Your turn," he whispers.

She doesn't move. She _can't_ move.

Damon notices the tension between them, seems to sink into it, and then very obviously pulls away, winking at her. She sits up straight with a start. Her cheeks and ears burn. Seriously, what is she thinking?! Elena shakes her head a little to clear it, trying to ignore Katerina's knowing smirk and Jenna's sudden concern.

She rips the lid off her box, ready to get this over with.

Elena feels as though she's falling again, this time straight through the floor, the foundation of the house, the center of the freaking earth. Her heart has been ripped out of her chest without her noticing, apparently, because there in the box, very tastefully sized and cut, is a heart-shaped lapis lazuli stone.

One side is shielded by protective silver, twisting and turning to create shapes inside it; the decorative chain winds itself through, along with the gold stem that creates leaves and yet another rose just like Tatia's rising halfway up the other side of the heart.; there's what seems to be a wing-like shape present in the flare of the silver, covered in diamonds, and she can't tell if it's more similar to Jenna's angel or Amara's butterfly. For some reason, it reminds her of the raven she's been encountering everywhere she goes; she shakes the thought away as soon as it comes.

With trembling hands, her eyes never leaving Damon's, she places the heart underneath Jenna's necklace; hers immediately fills the blank spaces underneath and to the sides, completing the utter masterpiece of jewelry.

Without a word, Caroline quickly raises her phone and zooms in, snapping a picture. In the next few seconds, the Gilberts' phones _ping_.

"We wanted to give you all something that connected all of you, so that no matter what, you could carry around pieces of each other," Caroline finally says quietly.

"Do the Founding families still traditionally leave roses for…?" Stephen hesitates, glancing at the girls and Jeremy. "For those that have passed on?"

Jenna nods tearfully. "Yes, we do."

Stephen nods. "The roses are for Miranda and Grayson. They were my idea."

"Katerina got a cat, for obvious reasons; and because she has a strength and fire inside of her that can't be extinguished; that was my idea, along with Amara's butterfly. On the outside, Amara might appear fragile or quieter than the others, but she's always in control, always moving on to the next phase," Bonnie continues.

"Tatia got a key, because she's always the one that gets us to open up to each other," Caroline chips in. She can't very well add that it was Tatia that bound the fate of almost all supernaturals, can't say that it was Tatia's soul and blood that called everyone back here, but it comforts her to know it's implied and will hopefully be revealed in time. "Jeremy got a chain, to link everyone together and hold down the fort, so to speak."

Jenna hears Caroline pause for breath and sees the golden opportunity before her to help Jeremy heal a bit. "And Jere, you don't realize it, but we all need you. You've been really strong and brave so far. We're proud of you."

Jeremy's eyes widen as he glances at the virtual strangers overhearing this very private moment. His face burns. He ducks his head, but reaches for his chain, his fingers counting the links.

"Jenna," Bonnie continues, "you've left your own life behind to take care of our friends. We're so thankful that you're here for them. You're not just their guardian, you're their guardian angel."

Jenna's eyes tear up again. "Awe, shucks," she laughs, trying to break the tension.

Elena finds herself giggling a bit, but then the tension is back tenfold in an entirely different way, because it is Damon that has taken it upon himself to explain her heart away. He turns to her, eyes blazing in a way that scares her; who is this man that has swooped down and consumed her thoughts, her life?

"Elena," he begins. The way he says her name makes her stomach drop and her heart jump. "Elena, you've been through so much already, and it doesn't take a genius to see how big your heart still is, in spite of it all."

Elena is staring pretty intently at his mouth at that point, so she notices when he has to physically bite his tongue to keep from saying more.

His voice is gruff, full of longing… almost like…

Jenna breaks their mutual reverie. "This is so very kind, since I'm sure that while Caroline's fine eye for design came up with all this, the Salvatore bank account funded it. But really, this is too much. There's no telling how much all of this-"

"None of them would get more than a couple hundred dollars at a pawn shop, and none of them are worth more than a thousand regularly priced; they're all actually a pretty modest size on their own, they won't draw unwanted attention. Besides, Caroline wasn't lying; there really was a sale at the store. I get a membership discount, and it was about to run out for the fiscal year; had to use it all up," Damon rushes. He can't risk Jenna freaking out; he needs her comfort to reassure the girls and Jeremy. He needs the vervain hidden inside these things to protect them all when he cannot.

"Also, if you research Founding customs, it was pretty common to gift heirloom pieces after one of our own passed. Kinda strange, but Uncle Zach _insisted_ we contribute upon our return home; if you remember, he gave you that pricey auction piece at the visitation, what was it?"

Jenna's eyes clear. Her brow unfurrows. Damon could kiss his brother for that save. It _is_ one of the many bizarre Mystic Falls customs; how could he have forgotten such an easy save?!

"Oh, yes! Yes, that beautiful cast iron vase. I remember now. Wow. Thank you two so much for these wonderful gifts. Seriously, we're in your debt. The kids are so enamored, I doubt they'll ever take them off. Me either, if I'm being honest," Jenna enthuses.

"It was our pleasure," Damon murmurs, taking one last sip of wine, enjoying Elena's eyes on his mouth as he does so.

When she goes to place her own glass in the sink, with everyone still going on about the necklaces, including Caroline's (a lapis lazuli hummingbird with a smattering of emeralds on the wings and citrines on the beak), and Bonnie's (a simple pear-cut ruby that hangs near her clavicle), she pauses. Damon is on the stairwell, studying the procession of baby pictures lining the wall. She finds herself thankful that he probably can't tell which is her and not one of her three sisters, even though they all look exactly alike.

She climbs the stairs to stand next to him.

"You know I know you were the one that designed _my_ necklace," she finally says after screwing up all her courage.

"What, me? No way," he says. Then his eyes do this strange _thing_ that isn't quite a wink, but also isn't part of a smirk. It's hot as hell.

"Yes way," she grumbles, feeling suddenly like a twelve year old with a never-gonna-happen crush on a babysitter. She doesn't like the feeling, so she tries to shove it away.

"Which one's you?" He gestures toward the wall. "My money is on the watermelon jumpsuit."

"Nope."

"You wouldn't tell me even if I was right."

"Nope," she says again, grinning.

He does the eye thing again. She refuses to acknowledge her shaky knees. Her reaction to him is _absurd_ and irritating.

"My necklace kind of reminds me of this poem I really like."

"Which one?"

"Only the most cliché e.e cummings poem of all time," she scoffs at herself, feeling stupid. Damon seems like a smart guy. She's sure he's read all of his work. She has too, but still, this particular poem had popped into her head when she had closed her fingers around her necklace for the first time.

Damon turns to her, stepping forward. Automatically she takes a step back and nearly tumbles backward off the landing, but of course he catches her, hand sneaking around to her lower back to steady her.

Why there?! Why not her elbow or something?! She's in utter agony.

"' _I fear / no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) / I want / no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) / and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant / and whatever a sun will always sing is you_ ,'" Damon murmurs.

She had suspected he might quote the stereotypical line ' _I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)_ '. She had never in a million years considered he might pull her favorite stanza right off the top of his gorgeous head.

"How did you know?!" she demands, that strange fear-ish feeling creeping back in, the same she had felt at the fog and the raven.

"Know what?" Another round of the eye thing. Great.

There's silence, more tension. She hopes he'll just kiss her already. Does it matter that she barely knows him? There's something _instinctual_ here.

"Who's ready for an impromptu movie night?!" Jenna calls, her voice echoing through the house.

Elena can still feel Damon's fingers when he lets her go.


	3. Chapter 3

Stefan takes the football jersey he's handed, and wonders how he got himself into this mess a second time.

He's trudging through the school hallway, trying not to compare his high-school life now to the high life he'd been living a few decades ago, when he quite literally bumps into Jeremy. Jeremy trips and falls sideways, slamming into Tyler Lockwood.

Tyler falls back into a locker. Instantly, Stefan can see the werewolf gene inside him trying to unleash its fury. Tyler's eyes flash, locking onto Jeremy.

Stefan intercedes as quickly as possible. He steps between the two, helping Jeremy to his feet, apologizing profusely. He drops his football jersey in his haste.

"Hey, man, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention at all. My bad. What's up, Lockwood? Look, I just joined the football team and some of my new buddies were wondering if you would throw the next rager."

Tyler blinks at Stefan in confusion, and the new emotion is enough to replace the wolfish anger. Stefan breathes a sigh of relief.

Jeremy walks away with him quickly. Stefan can't help but notice Vicki's name pop up on his phone. For now, Jeremy ignores it. He raises an eyebrow at Stefan. " _You_ joined the football team?"

"Yeah, why not? I'm still new. Could be a good way to get involved." Stefan observes him. He knows the potential muscle Jeremy could build. "You know, there are still a couple of spots left. You should go to try-outs. It'd be good to have someone I know on the team."

He lowers his voice a bit, maneuvering their path to the side of the mostly empty hallway. "You'd have to get clean to play, but it wouldn't be too hard."

Jeremy opens his mouth to protest, but Stefan walks backwards, away from him. He grins, waves his hand in a friendly manner. "Besides, dude, it's a great way to impress girls!"

Jeremy feels his protests die in his throat.

* * *

"Where's your brother?" Jenna asks quietly. Elena peels potatoes for tonight's dinner, one of the first large ones Jenna has attempted to cook. Her angel shines against her chest.

Elena's hands are still shaking. Bonnie had been busy with her Grams after school and Caroline had to meet her mom at the station, so Elena had been forced to ride home with Katerina. Her sister had played loud pop music, laughing and trying to distract her, but Elena had gripped her sister's armrests the entire way, eyes blurry with terrified tears.

It seems she still has some work to do on the healing front.

"Believe it or not, but he's trying out for the football team. Stefan made it on yesterday and asked Jeremy to try playing with him. If Jeremy makes it, he'll have a drug test in two weeks before the first big game. Personally I'm hoping this forces him clean."

Jenna gasps, and it calms Elena to see her aunt's giant smile. "Football? Wow, that's amazing. Your dad used to play, of course, that's how he got to spend so much time with your mom. She cheered him on as a cheerleader every game. No one thought they would make it through college, but I-" Elena watches with heartfelt concern as Jenna's eyes tear up. "Your dad would have loved to watch him play."

Sometimes, in her own selfish grief, Elena forgets that Jenna lost her big sister. A knot forms in her throat. "Dad _will_ be watching him play, Aunt Jenna."

Jenna seems startled at this affirmation for a moment, before she nods. She rubs Elena's back. "Hand me that stick of butter please, kiddo?"

Elena does, letting the conversation drop.

"Stefan seems to be getting close to all of you," Jenna says. There's a question in her voice.

"Yeah, he's becoming a good friend," Elena nods.

Jenna peeks at her through her red hair. "Oh? Just a friend?"

Elena refrains from rolling her eyes, but barely. "Yeah. Just a friend."

"What about his brother?"

Elena's main organs all clench at the mention of Damon. "What about him?"

"He's seriously hot!"

Elena blushes scarlet. "Yeah, but what if he's an ass? Aren't guys like that always arrogant and ass-like?"

Jenna shrugs. "Yeah, most of the time. But you're young. It wouldn't be a waste of time to find out."

Elena studies Jenna curiously through her dark hair. "The age difference between us wouldn't bother you?"

Now Jenna hesitates. "I was… _concerned_ about it at first. But you've been through so much, and you've always been wise beyond your years. As long as you're _not_ pregnant, you're happy, and you're being treated right, I'm happy. And if you're ever pregnant before you're ready to be, unhappy, and _not_ being treated right, it's a great comfort to know we're family friends with the sheriff."

An unbidden image of Damon in handcuffs pops into Elena's head. Her hand nearly slips on the knife.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about me and Damon any time soon," Elena says in a rush but she can tell Jenna doesn't believe her.

* * *

They're all sitting around the coffee table, eating cheesecake and playing Monopoly, when Jeremy comes through the front door. He's sweaty and grinning, his backpack barely clinging to one shoulder.

"I made it onto the team!" he shouts. He holds up a brand new jersey.

The six of them all try to hug and jump up and down at once. The living room floor shakes.

Elena feels a little bit of the grief lift away.

* * *

"What do you think about this one?" Bonnie asks, even though she knows this is the dress she will choose, because she wore it in the original timeline.

Elena studies the creamy dress carefully, observing all the pleated folds in the knee-length skirt. There are red and blue flowers in muted tones all over the dress.

"With a pair of red heels, it'd be killer," Elena finally agrees with a smile. "You should totally try it on!"

"Red looks good on you, Bon," Amara agrees from across the rack. "And it matches your new necklace!"

Bonnie's hand goes to her vervain necklace instantly, finding reassurance in its familiar weight at her throat. The red ruby is small, and nearly hollow. She doesn't want to admit to herself that she chose it because it looks like a red drop of blood shimmering there. It feels fitting, but she doubts many will understand her morbid fascination.

Katerina frowns in the next aisle. "I'm thinking something red, too, but I'm not sure."

"Elena!" Tatia calls, waving from across the store. She holds up the dress Bonnie knows Elena will pick, a swirl of orange and hot pink satin that flows to the floor.

Caroline shifts the dresses in front of her quietly, bottom lip bitten. Originally, she hadn't gotten to choose her dress to this event. Damon had compelled her to wear that hideous gray thing with the cardigan and scarf to hide her bite marks.

This is the store she, Elena, and Bonnie had always come to for formal events. It carried knock-offs and lesser-known designers that were much cheaper than the usual fare without appearing that way. Looking at the dresses now, Caroline can't help but think about Klaus. Does he remember, too? Will he arrive in Mystic Falls when she is still human? She sincerely hopes not. Her fingers flutter to her hummingbird necklace guiltily.

Which dress would he choose for her?

Irritatingly, her eyes fall on a strappy dress that's also a pale gray; silver sequins begin at the hips and span the length of the dress to the floor. It's casual enough to wear to this event, and dressy enough to match the elegance required.

Caroline grits her teeth but accepts fate and pays for the dress quickly.

Amara leaves with something yellow and flowy, Tatia with something suede and brown, Jenna with a white dress that makes her look like a Roman goddess, and Katerina with a tight black one. Jenna is helping the girls pay for their dresses and trying to crane her neck to spot Jeremy behind the folding wall in the men's suit section, when she suddenly glances down at her phone and goes very pale.

Caroline catches Bonnie's eyes and frowns. What now? Things have been going so well. Jenna corrals everyone outside and ushers them to a picnic table on the sidewalk of the café next door.

"What's going on? I got the suit you liked best," Jeremy grumbles, tugging at his shirt collar as though he can still feel the tight button-up.

"Um, well, guys," Jenna hesitates, eyes scanning the message one more time. "Caroline, your mom just texted me. She thought maybe I should tell you all before we stop for lunch and see it on a T.V somewhere. Mr. Tanner, your history teacher and Jeremy's football coach… well, he's been found dead."

* * *

 _ **Why would I kill Tanner?**_ the first message reads.

Bonnie grits her teeth. Caroline rolls her eyes.

The second message comes. _**Well, okay, I would have. The guy was a dick. But seriously, I'm not the one attacking people this time.**_

"If not Damon, then who? We're blind here," Bonnie snaps. She hates the way she glances suspiciously around the Grill. Matt gives them a halfhearted wave from the bar, greeting Jeremy as he sits down there, eyes glued to the T.V screen depicting Mr. Tanner's death. "I mean, yeah, Tanner's death is probably a time-catalyst, but still."

Elena comes over to them, watching as Vicki saunters in, ignoring Matt entirely in favor of comforting Jeremy. Jeremy had never liked Mr. Tanner much, but he had been his football coach. He had given Jeremy a chance. Elena is terrified this will set him back.

"Do you think he'll ask her to the Founder's Heritage Party?" Elena asks worriedly.

"Probably," Caroline nods. "But I'm sure she'll turn him down."

The three of them watch as Jeremy turns from morose, to nervous, and then happy when Vicki animatedly agrees to something he's asked.

"Damn it," Elena sighs.

She shares a look of disgust with her sisters where they're seated with Jenna.

"I give up," Jenna sighs, taking another comforting bite of her mozzarella stick.

* * *

"We should all just go stag," Caroline shrugs nervously.

"I definitely don't have a date," Bonnie agrees.

The girls are spread on Elena's bedroom floor, homework covering every available surface. Caroline had made the executive decision that they all should work ahead as much as possible to have more time to focus on the upcoming party.

Katerina shrugs. "Ever since Tyler and I broke up last year, I haven't been out with someone once. I'm getting bored."

"You only dated him for like, two months," Bonnie reminds her. She's still shocked at the new memories. They're hazy in her mind, but seem to come to her when context calls.

"I thought I might ask Matt. It can't be easy for him, seeing Vicki getting to go with Jeremy and just having to work the Grill again," Amara says quietly.

Tatia's eyes cut to her quickly. "Is there something happening between you and Matt?!"

Amara seems genuinely startled. "What?! No, no of course not. Especially not after he dated Elena! _Geez_. I'm just saying, he's had a hard time lately."

The other girls all frown. Amara has never dated anyone in her whole life; she's had crushes, and she'd gotten close with a few people, but never before has she claimed monogamy. Sometimes she feels like there's a curse on her or something. Just as she starts to fall for someone, something inside of her blocks the feeling.

"Well, that's certainly kind of you," Kat snorts. She's been pretending to do homework for the last forty minutes; instead her notebook is covered in doodled designs. Over and over again she sketches the same shape. She adds a triangular point here, another one there, yet another. She encloses it all in a circle.

"Hey, what'd you get for number-?" Bonnie is leaning over her shoulder. Katerina snaps her notebook shut.

Bonnie's eyes go frighteningly wide. "Give that here," she demands, flipping the notebook open again. There, in Kat's precise hand, is the triquetra symbol repeated over and over.

"Do you know what you're drawing?" Bonnie demands. Does Katerina have her memories back? Is she Katherine again? Is she just pretending, biding her time-

"Um… doodles? Wow, way to flip out, Bon." Katerina seems genuinely confused.

Bonnie's heartbeat slows. How strange, to be doodling that design. Maybe the girls' subconscious minds are starting to pick up on all the catalysts?

"Sorry," Bonnie apologizes with a small, anxious smile. Caroline's face wears the same. "I'm just really stuck on this geometry problem. Those doodles definitely aren't the answer."

Amara's phone rings. She gets up to answer it. Slowly, the conversation returns to the topic of dates.

"What about you, Elena?" Tatia asks. "Surely you're going to ask Damon."

"He'll already be going anyway, no point in asking him like it's something special," Elena says quickly, burying her face in her history textbook.

"Does it bother you that I might bring Matt? I know he's concerned about Vicki…" Amara hesitates.

"No, of course not. Go for it," Elena agrees quickly. "I feel badly anyway, about how things went down. He could use the pick-me-up."

"Maybe I _should_ reconnect with Tyler a little… it might distract him from Vicki, which would help Matt _and_ Jeremy feel a little more comfortable." Katerina smirks wickedly, obviously already justifying her future tryst in her head.

Caroline's phone chimes. She looks down and smiles, then holds it up. "Stefan just asked me."

"There's a new guy that runs track. I thought about asking him to Homecoming. This could be a good test run," Tatia chips in agreeably, glancing mischievously at Elena.

"Grams will be with me, so I don't need a date," Bonnie shrugs.

"Perfect! I'll go with Jenna." Elena nods, as if that settles the matter.

Kat snorts. "Yeah, because Jenna hasn't been going nuts all week, thinking about the infamous Logan Fell being in the same room as her."

"Now we all have dates," Tatia states the obvious.

Elena thinks of blue eyes, a sky full of ravens, and that voice. _"I'll find you."_

"Fine," she mutters. "Alright already. I'll ask him."

Amara slips back into the room, tossing her phone carelessly on Elena's bed. "That was Carol Lockwood. She wants us to go through our heirloom stuff and see what we can donate for the exhibits; she really wants some old watch."

* * *

Bonnie stands and moves the curling wand through her hair with careful precision, her reflection staring back at her in the mirror.

"Is he coming to pick you up?" Caroline asks Elena. She was ready an hour ago.

Elena shrugs uncomfortably. "I don't know."

She doesn't want to admit that she hopes Damon does pick her up. She still avoids riding with family if she can, and riding in the same vehicle as Jenna _and_ Jeremy sounds like a special sort of torture; not to mention Vicki, who will surely be at her most annoying.

"I'm sure he will," Bonnie shrugs. "He'll probably arrive with flowers, and Belgian chocolate, and a marching band…"

Elena is grinning before she can stop herself. She ignores the intimidation of the joy the idea of a romantic Damon gives her. "Shut up!"

"We can hear you blushing all the way from over here!" Tatia calls from the bathroom across the hall. Her sisters formally banned Jeremy from entering this afternoon. He's been reduced to showering in Jenna's en-suite.

"I hope you are all almost ready, because we really should be leaving any minute," Jenna calls from the living room. She's been peering out the curtains for the girls' dates for at least fifteen minutes. She seems more nervous than they are.

Matt arrives first, rather predictably. Tatia's new track crush follows soon after. Katerina is sitting on the couch, looking nervous and trying not to pout at Tyler's absence, when Damon pulls up. His pretty vintage car flashes in the light.

Elena's heart speeds up. She slides close to Jenna on the couch, both of them peering through the blinds at a Damon that's polite enough to pretend not to notice. He's holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers. She's never told him about those before.

"Told you he'd come with flowers," Bonnie snickers behind her, startling her. Elena jumps up as the doorbell rings. Jenna follows, fussing over straightening Jeremy's tie.

Bonnie slides easily past Damon, opening the door before Elena is ready. "She's all yours, champ. See you there!"

Damon spares Bonnie an irritated look before focusing on Elena. His entire face smooths, delicious mouth curling into a smile at the sight of her standing there before him, all dressed up in colors too bright for future-Elena to wear. She smooths her hands down the front of her skirt, obviously caught off-guard even though he _knows_ she watched him pull up.

Manners from two centuries ago come flooding back, muscle memory etched into a body that should be long-dead. "Miss Gilbert, thank you for agreeing to accompany me this evening."

Elena wants to mumble something about technically asking _him_ to accompany _her_ , but before she can he's lifting her hand to press an electric kiss to the back of it. His free arm shifts the flower bouquet toward her.

The flowers thankfully aren't roses; those make her think of funerals. They're not red anemones; those are Amara's favorite. Tiger-lilies are Katerina's choice, carnations for Jenna, and buttercups for Tatia. Instead, Damon has managed to choose her favorite; purple sweet pea flowers.

Bless Jenna, she manages to show up right behind Elena with a gracious smile and a vase full of water. "I'll take those for you."

Elena takes them from Damon, shuddering when her fingers brush his, and passes them to Jenna. She's staring at Damon when she murmurs her thanks.

Then she takes his hand and follows him down to the parked car on the road.


End file.
